1. THE GREAT EKTENIA OR LITANY
OF PEACE
From his place, facing the royal doors, the deacon sings the Great
Ektenia; at every petition, the deacon raises the end of his orar
with three fingers of his right hand.
Deacon : In peace let us pray to the Lord.
People : Lord, have mercy.
Deacon : For peace from on high and for the salvation of
our souls, let us pray to the Lord.
People: Lord, have mercy.
Deacon : For the peace of the whole world, for the well-
being of the holy churches of God, and for the unity of all,
let us pray to the Lord.
People: Lord, have mercy.
Deacon : For this holy church, and for those who enter it
with faith, reverence and the fear of God, let us pray to the
Lord.
People: Lord, have mercy.
Deacon : For His Holiness, our Universal Pontift'N--, Pope
of Rome, let us pray to the Lord. 1
People: Lord, have mercy.
Deacon : For our Most Reverend Archbishop and Metro-
politan N--, for our God-loving Bishop N--, for the
reverend priests, the deacons in Christ, for all the clergy
and people, let us pray to the Lord.
People: Lord, have mercy.
1 In the Russian Catholic recension, the next petition of the deacon is joined to
this one; hence, after the words " Pope of Rome " it goes on, " and for our Most
Reverend Metropolitan (or Archbishop, or Bishop) N., for the venerable order of
priests, the deacons in Christ, and all the clergy and people, let us pray to the Lord. "

2. Deacon : For our sovereign authorides and for all the armed
forces, let us pray to the Lord. '
People : Lord, have mercy.
Deacon : For this city [or for this village, or for this holy
monastery], for every city and country, and for the faithful
who live in them, let us pray to the Lord.
People: Lord, have mercy.
Deacon : For good weather, for abundant fruits of the earth,
and for peaceful dmes, let us pray to the Lord.
People: Lord, have mercy.
Deacon : For those traveling by land and sea, for the sick,
the suffering, the imprisoned, and for their salvadon, let us
pray to the Lord.
People: Lord, have mercy.
[In the Ruthenian recension the universal commemoration or petitions
for the dead are inserted here.]
Deacon : For our deliverance from all aftlicdon, wrath and
need, let us pray to the Lord.
People : Lord, have mercy.
Deacon : Help us, save us, have mercy on us, and protect
us, 0 God, by your grace.
People: Lord, have mercy.
Deacon : As we remember our all-holy, immaculate, most
blessed and glorious Lady, the Mother of God and ever-
virgin Mary together with all the saints, let us commend
ourselves and one another and our whole life to Christ God.
People: To you, 0 Lord.
Until a few years ago, the " Kyrie eleison" was the only remnant
of Greek in the Latin Mass. It was not, as sometimes supposed,
a survival from the time the Mass was said in Greek, but a fifth or
early sixth century transplant from the ektenias of the Byzantine
•Thia petition may also be : "For our God-protected Emperor (or King)
N-, etc. " depending on the type of government in a given country.

3. Liturgy. Originally, the Kyrie was an acclamation in the Latin
Church by the people or by the priest and people together; only
later did it come to be recited by the priest alone.
In the Byzantine-Slav Rite thls litany is called Velyka(ya) Ektem"a,
"the Great Ektenia," or Myrna(ya) Ektenia, "the Ektenia of
Peace.» These names come from the Greek ii µsy&.A"l €x-rev~ (~),
great, intense prayer (also ~ µsy&.li.1J cruva:rctj, the great collection
of petitions), or e:lp1Jvtx&., litany of peace, a name derived from its
opening petitions for peace, e.g., " In peace, let us pray... for peace
from on high. . . for peace of the whole world," etc. Sometimes
called ii xa:6oli.tx.~ cruva:1tn'j, the universal collection of petitions, it
corresponds to the litany of the same name in the Liturgy of
St. Jam.es. With each petition the deacon, representing the angel
ofthe Lord, raises his orar, the symbol ofthe angel's wing, as a sign
to the people that they should lift up their hearts and minds as they
pray for each blessing.
" In peace let us pray to the Lord. " The quieting of turbulent
passions, putting away all earthly troubles and worries, external as
well as internal peace, calm, and a clean, clear conscience are the
ideal dispositions for good prayer. A man who is discontented with
his lot in life cannot have peace within him, but only he who is
grateful and "in everything gives thanks" (I Thess. 5:18). • Only
in that spirit of peace can a man rightly approach God in prayer.
Peace with one's brother is presupposed, for the Master himself
told us that if our brother has anything against us, we must leave
our offering before the altar and become reconciled with him before
offering it (cf. Matt. 5:23-24).
" For peace from on high. " Peace from God, the peace which
the Saviour himselfgives : "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give
unto you : not as the world giveth, do I give unto you. Let not your
heart be troubled: nor let it be afraid" (John 14:27). It is the peace
in which we can take our rest at the end ofa day because our burdens,
no matter what they be, are not so heavy when our conscience is
clean. It is " the peace ofGod, which surpasseth all understanding»
(Phil. 4:7).
• Cabasilas, Commentary, trans. J. M. Hussey and P. A. McNulty (London,
S.P.C.K., 196o), p. 44.

4. Peace is the sign of God's Kingdom, " for the Kingdom of God
is not meat and drink : but justice and peace and joy in the Holy
Spirit" (Rom. 14:17).
Being disposed to the things that are ofpeace, of God's Kingdom,
the deacon urges prayer for peace in every form, not only for the
faithful themselves but also for the whole world.
The Slav, eternally yearning for peace, for peace of conscience,
peace with God, peace in every form, with every fiber of his being,
understands and loves this Syro-Byzantine petition. Centuries of
war have left their heavy imprint on his sensitive soul.
"Now, the church had peace throughout all Judea and Galilee
and Samaria : and was edified, walking in the fear ofthe Lord : and
was filled with the consolation of the Holy Spirit" (Acts 9:31).
Only when the various nations and races of the world are at peace
with each other can the Church of God grow.
" For the well-being of the holy churches of God and for the
unity ofall. " " The holy churches of God " do not mean that more
than one church or religion has been established by God, nor does
" the unity of all " mean that we are praying for the union of the
various non-Catholic Churches with Rome. The expression " the
holy churches of God" means the various local churches or congre-
gations of the one true Church, as St. Paul and the early Christians
used to refer to them, i.e., the Churches ofAntioch, Rome, Corinth,
Ephesus, etc. • None of the various non-Catholic Churches or
denominations was yet in existence when this petition was formulated
in the early centuries of the Church. The fourth-century Apostolic
Constitutions has : " Let us pray for the peace and stability of the
world and ofthe holy churches .... " 6
The unity referred to in the
Byzantine petition is the oneness, peace, love, and harmony that
these various local churches should live in, without strife, quarrel,
or envy.
" For this holy church, and for those who e~er it with faith,
reverence and the fear of God. " The Apostolic Constitutions has
•Col. 4:16; Rom. 16:16; I Cor. 1:2; I Thess. 1:1; II Thess. 1:1; I Pet. 5:13,
etc.
•Apostolic Constitutions, Book VIII, cf. above, p. 118.

5. " for this holy parish, " 8 and that is what the petition essentially
means.
The Memento, Domine of the Latin Canon expresses the same
notion when it asks the Lord to remember " all here present, whose
faith and devotion are known unto thee .... "
In the next two petitions, the ektenia enumerates the Holy Father,
the Metropolitan Archbishop, then the bishop, the priests, the
deacons, all the clergy (such as those with minor orders), and finally
the faithful. This is the Kingdom of God upon the earth hierarchi-
cally organized. Their needs are many, their wants varied. In
their intercessions, whence the present petitions are derived, the
early Christians were specific in their requests. For the bishops
they asked " that they rightly dispense the word of truth, " 7
and
" that the compassionate God let them continue in his holy churches
in health, honor, and long life and that he grant them an honorable
old age in piety and righteousness "; 8
for the priests, " that the Lord
deliver them from every improper and wicked action and that he
grant them both a sound and an honorable ministry"; 9
for the
deacons and other clergy, " that the Lord grant them a blameless
ministration. " 10
Prayers for the faithful included almost every
need. 11
" For our sovereign authorities and for all the armed forces. "
The early Christians prayed " for the kings and rulers, " 12
" for the
princes who lead a pious life, " 18
the Byzantines and Slavs for their
" God-protected Emperor or Tsar"; today under the democracies
we pray for legitimately constituted governing bodies. Praying " for
kings and for all that are in high station" is every Christian's duty;
it always has been since Paul wrote to Timothy (cf. I Tim. 2:1-2).
The protectors of a nation's freedom and sovereignty, the armed
• Ibid., cf. above, p. 119.
' Chrysostom, De prophet. obscurit., 2, s(edit. Montfaucon 6, 188 A).
• Apostolic Constitutions, Book VIII, cf. above, p. 119.
• Ibid., cf. above, p. 119.
io Ibid., cf. above, p. 119.
11 Ibid., cf. above, p. 119-121.
11
Chrysostom, In II Cor. ii, 8 (edit. Montfaucon, 10, 441 AB).
11
Apostolic Constitutions, Book VIII, cf. above, p. 120.

6. forces, are associated with the governing bodies. Theirs must be a
moral as well as a physical courage.
"For this city (or village or monastery), for everycity and country,
and for the faithful who live in them." From the national govern-
ment, the ektenia goes to the community, large city or simple village.
If the Liturgy is celebrated in a monastery, then the monastery is
mentioned instead. In the Ukraine or Russia, cities would often
boast of a monastery in the neighboring countryside where the
people would gather for the Sunday Eucharist. The charity of the
Great Ektenia is not limited to any one country : it includes every
city and country of the world, and especially the faithful who live
in them, wherever they be. It discerns neither Jew nor Gentile,
Greek nor Roman, Slav nor Teuton. It has been thus since the
days of Chrysostom, when the Christians prayed " for all who are
here and everywhere. " 14
" For good weather, for abundant fruits of the earth, and for
peaceful times. " The ektenia does not omit the simple things of
life. The humblest peasant knows well that, if God who sends
down the rains and makes the sun to shine does not bless his crops,
all his labor will be in vain. In Chrysostom's time, the Antiochene
Christians prayed " for the weather," 15
as had the Christians of
Thmuis a generation or two earlier. In the Prayer for Fruitfulness,
which Sarapion gives, they prayed that God " grant the rains most
full and most fertilizing; cause the earth also to bear fruit and to
produce in great abundance. " 18
" For those traveling by land and sea, for the sick, the suffering,
the imprisoned, and for their salvation. " In ancient or modern
times, no traveler is ever certain of reaching his destination unhurt
in soul or body. 17
Then as now, nature and fallible humanity
combine to threaten the most cautious traveler. Death, or injury
u Chrysostom, De prophet. obscurit., ii, S (6, 188 A).
11 In II Cor., il, 8 (edit. Montfaucon, IO, 441 B).
11 Sarapion, Eudwlogion, 23 (edit. J. Wordsworth, Bishop Sero.pion's Prayerbook
[London, 1910), p. 84). Prayers for rain are connected with petitions for the rising
of the Nile in both the Liturgy of St. Mark (Brightman, LEW, pp. n9, 127) and
the Liturgy of the Coptic Jacobites (Brightman, LEW, pp. 159, 168).
17 Apostolic Constitutions, Book VIII (see above, p. 120) bad an identicalpetition :
.. Let us pray for those who travel by sea or by land. "

7. still come as a thief. Only the hand of God can stay these perils of
road, sea, 01 air. For those who shall not reach their journey's end
on earth, salvation is asked (" and for their salvation").
The sick and the suffering are ever in need of prayer. The
Christians realized it when they prayed sixteen hundred years ago
" for our brothers who are tried with sickness, that the Lord deliver
them from every sickness and disease and that he restore them in
health to his holy Church. " 18 Prayer will deliver them, give them
the gentle balm of patience and the light to see the finger of God in
their suffering and pain. Hour by hour they stand on the threshold
ofeternity. IfGod beckons, prayer will give them the key ofsuper-
natural love to unlock the gates of the other Jerusalem where there
is no more pain, sorrow, or tears.
The petition for the imprisoned probably originated during the
persecutions with prayers for those condemned " for the name of
the Lord. " The Apostolic Constitutions, which provides so much
detailed information about the early Liturgy, gives this petition as:
" Let us pray for those who are in the mines, in banishment, in
prisons, and in chains for the name of the Lord. " 19
But even
after the persecutions ended, the Christians kept praying for the
imprisoned in accordance with Gospel precept. They must have
realized that praying for the imprisoned took them one step closer
to hearing those blessed words : " Come, ye blessed of my Father,
possess you the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of
the world" (Matt. 25). Praying for those in prison does indeed
belong to the same virtue of mercy as visiting them there. Christ
is in them as he is in the beggar or the widow. We have his word
for it," I was in prison..." (Matt. 25:34-46).
"For our deliverance from all affliction, wrath and need." This
group of pleas is almost as general as the libera nos a malo of the
Lord's Prayer : deliverence from all affliction, whatever it be, from
all wrath and want of soul and body.
" Ibid., cf. above, p. 120. Chrysostom also tells us they prayed "for those in
sickness." Cf. De incompr. Dei nat., iii, 6 (edit. Montfaucon I, 468 E).
10 Ibid., cf. above, p. 120. Chrysostom merely gives" for those.•• inthe mines,
for those in bitter servitude." Cf. De incompr. Dei nat., iii, 6 (edit. Montfaucon 1,
468E).

8. " Help us, save us, have mercy on us, and protect us, 0 God, by
your grace. "
Though God will never allow us to be tempted beyond that
which we can endure (I Cor. 10:13), we need his help, his grace, for
"without me you can do nothing" (John 15:5), "for it is God who
worketh in you, both to will and to accomplish, according to his
good will" (Phil. 2:13). Without his help and his grace, we are not
even " sufficient to think anything of ourselves, as of ourselves : but
our sufficiency is from God" (II Cor. 3:5). Grace is indeed needed
for salvation, for eternal life. Since it is supernatural, of a higher
order, the means required to obtain it must be supernatural, must
belong to the same order. The man who, like Pelagius, denies or
does not recognize the utter necessity of grace, would not plead to
God for his help.
Grace is a free gift of God, absolutely gratuitous, given purely
out of God's goodness and mercy. Man can neither merit grace
nor obtain it by his own natural resources or power : " And if by
grace, it is not now by works : otherwise grace is no more grace "
(Rom. 11:6). Implicit in this petition is the doctrine of the absolute
gratuity of grace. Only when a man realizes that he has absolutely
no right to something, no just claim to it through merit or title, will
he throw himself on someone's mercy. If there were just claim,
there would be no reason to ask for mercy.